Seeing several elders secretly exchanging glances, even using their divine senses to communicate quietly.
Ji Yuan smiled slightly in his heart. The reason he drew his sword in a hurry, besides genuinely wanting to recruit these seedlings, was also to showcase some of his own strength.
Even within the Nine Profound Sect, it wasn't as harmonious as it appeared on the surface.
Despite pleasant conversations on the face, without sufficient strength, one would inevitably be looked down upon.
Sometimes, appropriately displaying one's power could even foster better relationships; this was a universal truth among all cultivators.
As expected, after showcasing some of his strength, the elders rarely vied with him for disciples.
Even if a good seedling appeared, they would at most make a perfunctory effort, seeing if they could pick up any leftovers.
Only in cases where a recruit was exceptionally gifted, even to the point of being a genius, would they refuse to back down even half a step.
When several elders were unwilling to back down, it would depend on which inheritances mountain the selected person's aptitude was most suited for.
As for the disciples choosing themselves, that simply wouldn't happen.
Normally, within the Nine Profound Sect, disciples only had two opportunities to make their own choices.
One was to decide whether to leave the sect, and the other was, after advancing to the inner sect, to choose their preferred inheritance and then be formally accepted into it.
This included situations like Ji Yuan going to the Myriad Star Courtyard. If he fancied an outer disciple, and no other inheritance lineages stepped forward, he could directly recruit them into Xuan Tian Peak.
According to the founding ancestor of the Nine Profound Sect, as disciples, they were expected to have the awareness of a disciple. It wasn't about learning what they wanted, but about learning what the sect was willing to teach them.
In the eyes of this ancestor, if a disciple wished to learn something else.
It was permissible!
As long as they worked hard themselves, relying on their own talent and merit, they could naturally follow their inclinations to a certain extent.
But before that, they were to honestly accept the sect's arrangements.
This approach, while seemingly overbearing, was actually quite common in most sects.
Only some smaller sects, lacking sufficient foundations, would allow their disciples to choose.
Of course, there were exceptions, such as if their talent was so outstanding that it surpassed all others, then they might receive some special treatment.
"Alright, this old man won't keep you company any longer."
Elder Hong Tian shook his head and said casually before flying away.
He was, after all, an elder of a peak's inner sect. Even though he was currently on leave, he still had many matters to attend to.
And even if he had nothing to do, he still needed to cultivate more, so he naturally didn't have the leisure to stay there indefinitely.
After seeing Elder Hong Tian off, Ji Yuan continued to observe the individuals below who were undergoing trials.
Among them, there were a few who, although their talents were not yet known, had already caught his attention.
Two were children around seven or eight years old, and the other was a young man in his mid-twenties.
Through a specially made jade token, by simply channeling his divine sense into it, Ji Yuan could observe the heart-probing and illusionary realm experienced by any person currently on the Colorful Cloud Flowing Cloud Stair.
The illusionary realms presented by the first two children were very simple.
The older boy's illusion showed a vast ocean, but perhaps because he had never seen a real sea, it looked somewhat like a painting.
The younger girl's illusion, however, was a medicinal garden filled with various herbs.
As for the latter young man, his illusion was more complex, involving ten years of arduous study, fame and fortune, the smiles of a beloved, and so on.
Such a complex state of mind naturally led to repeated failures, but after a short rest, he resolutely stepped onto the Colorful Cloud Flowing Cloud Stair again.
This was precisely because the Nine Profound Sect did not limit the number of attempts for the trial. As long as it was within the year of the sect's grand opening, one could participate as many times as they wished.
Otherwise, in such a situation, in any other sect, that young man would have already been directly expelled.
Logically speaking, someone with such a complicated state of mind would not be considered by any cultivator to be taken as a disciple.
After all, the most important thing in cultivation was a pure heart. One could have many desires, but one must be able to maintain focus.
The situation of this young man was that desires sprouted endlessly in his heart, and he was unable to maintain sufficient focus, as if he were lost in an endless sea of thoughts.
What piqued Ji Yuan's curiosity was that despite this, he kept trying again and again.
Anyone who had experienced the heart-probing of the Colorful Cloud Flowing Cloud Stair would understand whether they had any hope of passing the trial.
That young man should have been very aware that with his condition, it was impossible to pass. The disciples guarding the gate had also reminded him once or twice.
Yet, he persisted, which could no longer be described as mere perseverance.
Because each heart-probing would affect the mind, strengthening the resolve of those who passed and making those who failed more aware of their own problems.
"He doesn't seem to care if he can pass anymore, but rather wants to relive past memories through repeated heart-probings?"
After observing for a long time, Ji Yuan grasped some of the other person's thoughts.
The illusions caused by the heart-probing had no effect on those with firm minds.
However, for those who deliberately indulged in them, they would appear incredibly real.
"He is indeed an interesting person."
Ji Yuan smiled slightly, reserving a bit of his energy to pay attention, and then shifted his gaze away.
If, by the end of his departure, the person was still attempting the trial, and could actually pass the heart-probing test, and his background was clear, then.
He wouldn't mind recruiting him into Xuan Tian Peak. Such an interesting fellow was worth using up a spot for.
However, less than half an hour later, Ji Yuan's thoughts suddenly stirred, and he shifted all his attention back.
He used his divine sense to observe the illusion the young man was currently experiencing, and his eyes couldn't help but widen, with countless flashes of brilliance.
In that illusion, the scene was no longer of this world.
Instead, it was a city he had never seen before, with towering buildings reaching into the clouds, and metal boxes that could move without being pulled by horses or exotic beasts.
And clear images displayed within black, glass-like substances.
It was a different world, and the young man who possessed such an environment was clearly not from this world!
"An otherworldly visitor?"
A thought flashed through Ji Yuan's mind, and his thoughts churned.
There was no lack of instances of otherworldly visitors in history. On the contrary, every few hundred or thousand years, one or two might descend upon this world.
And these individuals were not particularly special. Most would blend in with the crowd, or even be unable to adapt to this world and disappear without a trace.
However, for cultivators, the memories of these otherworldly visitors were extremely important. By coming into contact with memories from different worlds, unexpected collisions might occur, leading to an increase in their cultivation realm.
It was rumored that many Golden Core cultivators, and even powerful beings with immense magical powers, had undergone changes in their perceptions due to contact with memories from other worlds, or had comprehended powerful Dao principles, or had created powerful divine abilities and cultivation methods.
"I must recruit him!"
Ji Yuan's eyes flashed, and he had already made up his mind.
He glanced at the dozen or so elders beside him, then, without any outward change, took out his natal flying sword, infused it with a strand of his divine sense, and silently ordered it to fly away.